举办

• Pinyin: jǔ bàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 举 = simplified from 舉, hands lifting something; 办 = 力 (power) between two dots, meaning to handle affairs

Meaning

To host; to hold; to organise (an event). To conduct or put on a formal event or activity.

Used for large-scale or formal events such as conferences, ceremonies, competitions, exhibitions, and festivals. More formal than 办 alone. Common collocations include 举办活动 (hold an event), 举办比赛 (hold a competition), 举办婚礼 (hold a wedding).

Examples

1. 学校每年都举办运动会。 The school holds a sports meeting every year.
2. 北京举办过两次奥运会。 Beijing has hosted the Olympics twice.
3. 我们公司下周要举办一个活动。 Our company is holding an event next week.

Usage Guide

Context: events, official, sports

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 今年的比赛在上海举办。(This year's competition is being held in Shanghai.)
• 他们举办了一场盛大的晚会。(They held a grand gala.)

Don't Say

• 我举办了一顿晚饭。(Don't use 举办 for everyday meals — it's for formal events. Say 我做了一顿晚饭 for cooking dinner, or 我举办了一场晚宴 for a formal dinner party.)

Origin & History

Compound of 举 (to lift, to raise, to initiate) and 办 (to handle, to manage). Together: 'to raise up and manage' — to organise and carry out an event.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal